Google took the wraps off two Chromebook laptop PCs after nearly two years of delays and touts of its Chrome operating system as an alternative to Microsoft Windows. Samsung and Acer laptops using Chrome OS will go on sale June 15, as the world’s No. 1 Internet search engine tries to entice people to do more on the Web. As with Android, Chrome software will be free, but is expected to spur people to use the Internet more often and search for more things, potentially boosting Google’s Internet ads business.
Despite recent indications that Google is priming Chrome for use in tablets, Google says that it is “fully focused on notebooks” for the foreseeable future, writes Mashable’s Ben Parr.
Facebook users’ personal information could have been accidentally leaked to third parties, in particular advertisers, over the past few years, Symantec said in its official blog. Third-parties would have had access to personal information such as profiles, photographs and chat, and could have had the ability to post messages, the security software maker said. Facebook had taken steps to resolve the issue, the blog post said.
A security measure that Sony installed made the PlayStation website unavailable in Japan, the company said in a statement. A Bloomberg report had said the site was down because of a hacker attack.
Visa is working with several large U.S. and international banks to develop a digital wallet that people can use to pay for things online or with their phones. Its partners include US Bancorp, PNC Financial Services, Regions Financial, BB&T, Toronto Dominion’s TD Bank and the U.S. arm of Barclays. The digital wallet will store the banks’ customers’ credit and debit card account information, both for Visa cards and other cards. People can use the wallet to pay for things online or in stores, Visa said.
When is Olympic sponsorship money well spent? A 